Spin-glass behavior in nanocrystalline ZnFe2O4 spinel ferrite

Abstract

The spinel zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanocrystalline material was synthesized by using high energy ball milling method. The samples were investigated for their structural and magnetic characterizations of XRD, SEM, XPS and VSM. X-ray diffraction study confirmed the spinel ferrite cubic crystal structure formation of ZnFe2O4 with space group fd-3m. The surface morphology of the sample was studied with Scanning Electron Microscope. The valence state and the chemical composition of the ZnFe2O4 prepared sample were determined by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS result proved the existence of Fe in double oxidation state of +2 and +3 at the tetrahedral and octahedral sites respectively. Room temperature MH curve shows the ferrimagnetic nature of the sample arising from the various oxidation state of Fe ions. Low temperature VSM studies gives the information about the transition from ferri to anti- ferro magnetic behavior and it shows the spin glass transition of ZnFe2O4 prepared sample at temperature around 290 K.